Pick up some easy-to-read books to get in the spirit of giving thanks. Below are some suggested titles that can be found in the Readers section in our Children's Department. Happy Thanksgiving!

The first Thanksgiving by Linda Hayward ; illustrated by James Watling

Pardon that turkey : how thanksgiving became a holiday by Susan Sloate ; illustrated by Christian Slade

Once upon a river : a novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell — What if we were left to discover life, love and the world on our own at a very young age with no preconceived socially-defined rights and wrongs? This is one of the questions that Bonnie Jo Campbell will force you to ponder. The protagonist is 16-year-old Margo who sets out in a flat-bottomed teak rowboat on the Stark River in southwestern Michigan to find her mother, who has abandoned the family. Margo fashions herself after her hero, Annie Oakley, which adds a sense of timelessness to the novel — although unbelievably it is set in 1970. Margo sustains herself, and in fact thrives, in the face of every sort of adversity through a combination of courage, stubbornness and savvy. This novel is not, however, for the faint of heart.

Our 2011 books in Kannada are on the shelf and waiting to be checked out. Titles include:

Citādanta : [rōcaka kādambari] by Ke. En. Gaṇēśayya

Ivarellarū Bhārata ratna ru by Ji. Eṃ. Kr̥ṣṇamūrti

Kathā samaya : purāṇa jagattina beragina kathegaḷu by Jōgi

Nēhala : kathegaḷu by Ke. En. Gaṇēśayya

The Babe and the Baron [Large print] by Carola Dunn

Cutting for Stone [Large print] by Abraham Verghese

Dreams of Joy [Large print]: a novel by Lisa See

Eve [Large print] by Iris Johansen

Team of rivals: the political genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Bad things happen by Harry Dolan

Myrna Loy: the only good girl in Hollywood by Emily W.

Well then, you might try enrolling in either Master Dreadthorn's School for Wayward Villains or Blatt School for the Insanely Gifted. Granted, you must be the child of a notorious evil entity, such as Dracula, The Big Bad Wolf, or a warlock and be lacking in evil to normally qualify for entry into the former school, but heck, you could always give it a shot. "Gifted" has a lot of definitions. The deciding factor for entry into the later school is that you have the ability to invent something the headmaster might want to steal from you, thereby increasing his fame, fortune, and power — but you don't know this of course. Trust me, if you do have the opportunity to attend one of these schools, you will gain a whole new perspective on education.

Villain School : good curses evil by Stephanie S. Sanders — Join Rune, Jez, and Wolf Junior as they try to succeed at a nearly impossible Plot in order to avoid being expelled for not being bad enough.

The School for the Insanely Gifted by Dan Elish — Wild rides, literally, are in store for you with Daphna, Harkin, and Cynthia as they embark on an international search for Daphna's missing mother and prepare for the school's upcoming "Insanity Cup" competition. Don't miss this action-packed adventure fantasy. If you liked The Mysterious Benedict Society, you will love this for sure.

Fast, fun, reads, both of these weird school books are sure to please!

On Tuesday, November 29 TNT introduces Mystery Movie Night with six films based on the works of Scott Turow (11/29), Sandra Brown (11/30), Lisa Gardner (12/6), Richard North Patterson (12/7), April Smith (12/13), and Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark (12/20). Three additional films will be announced in 2012.

Innocent by Scott Turow

Ricochet by Sandra Brown

Here are some great new books if you are a fan of sci-fi, fantasy, and/or supernatural stories, especially those with a touch of romance.

The girl of fire and thorns by Rae Carson

Entwined by Heather Dixon

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Canton Public Library staff is reading:

The dovekeepers: a novel by Alice Hoffman

The marriage plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

Motor City shakedown by D.E. Johnson

Room: a novel by Emma Donoghue

The Hunger Games [kit] by Suzanne Collins — Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.

The three Weissmanns of Westport [kit] by Cathleen Schine — A modern tale inspired by Sense and Sensibility finds financially strapped literary sisters Miranda and Annie moving in with divorcee Betty in a run-down Connecticut beach cottage, where they find love among the suburban aristocracy. A witty and light selection for book groups.

Cutting for stone [kit]: a novel by Abraham Verghese

The Hunger Games [kit] by Suzanne Collins

The postmistress [kit] by Sarah Blake

Room [kit]: a novel by Emma Donoghue

The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown by Paul Malmont

Death on Tour by Janice Hamrick

Fadeaway Girl : a novel by Martha Grimes

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Ashes of the earth: a mystery of post-apocalyptic America by Eliot Pattison

The cradle in the grave by Sophie Hannah

Sentenced to death by Lorna Barrett

Skating around the law: a mystery by Joelle Charbonneau

If you weren't able to attend the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. on September 24-25, videos of the event including authors' talks are now available. Historian and author David McCullough appeared at the 2011 National Book Festival, as did Sylvia Nasar, Cassandra Clare, Wally Amos, Sara Paretsky, and more.

Looking for books in Bengali? We have them. New Bengali books received in 2011 include:

Ādhunika ramaṇīdera ādhunika rānnā by Sādiẏā Rahamāna Munnī

Bandha darajā kholā darajā by Sunīla Gaṅgopādhyāẏa

Karporeṭa bhālobāsā by Śahīdula Haka Khāna

Saṃsiddha: galpagrantha = Sangshiddha = Accomplished by Runu Haka, Śabanama Āmīra, Sāherā Āphajā, Phārajānā Āhmeda, Pheradausa Jesamīna

Lunch Lady and the league of librarians by Jarrett J. Krosoczka — Do you ever wonder what your school lunch lady does when she isn't serving you food? Is it possible she has a secret identity? Check out this book for a hilarious look at the secret crime fighting deeds of Lunch Lady and her trusty side-kick, Betty. Enjoy!

On Thursday May 10th from Noon to 1PM we'll be discussing

To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee — Scout Finch, daughter of the town lawyer Atticus, has just started school. She's known how to read and write, though, ever since she and her older brother Jem can remember. Bored with school, Scout and Jem decide on a project — to make Boo Radley, the town's notorious recluse, come out. But Scout's carefree days come to an end when a black man in town is accused of raping a white woman — and Atticus is the only man willing to defend him.

On Thursday, March 8th, at Noon we will be discussing:

The postmistress by Sarah Blake — The lives of two women in a small Cape Cod town are impacted by the radio broadcasts of Frankie Bard, an American journalist in London who hopes that by revealing details of World War II she will encourage the United States to take up the cause.

A murder of crows flew off to the forbidden Impassable Wilderness with the baby brother you were supposed to be watching? This is just the first difficult quandary that Prue is forced to deal with in Wildwood by Colin Meloy (lead singer and songwriter for The Decemberists). Well, as you might guess, Prue does elect to sneak into the wilds, followed by a nosy classmate, Curtis. This intrepid duo soon learn they have entered a realm in the midst of violent upheaval. One part of the dark and magical wood is warring with at least one other section. A simple rescue mission explodes into mortal battles featuring incredible creatures and humans as various factions vie for power and control. Honeyed deceit, brutal honesty, and difficult choices force Prue and Curtis to mature quickly.